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Thursday, April 06, 2017

Existential turtle discussions

I left my building and saw a friend at the bakery at the corner. We chatted in Arabic and French.

I haven't seen you for a while, where have you been?I was in Marrakesh with friends. Marrakesh was good?Yes, it was good but I prefer Rabat. Marrakesh is hot, congested and full of tourists and hustle.Every city is different, with a different language. Every city's people are different, with a different attitude.You are correct. I need to go, I need to feed mateesha (tomatoes, a new Derija word I learned) to the turtle who lives on the roof.What is the turtle's name?Fakran (Arabic for turtle). Fakran's name is fakran. Fakran al-fakran.
He laughed. I pointed to the bread. Khubz (bread) is happily named khubz; Le mur est le mur.

He laughed deep at this.

And I walked away down the medina alley thinking of Borges y yo, of what Spinoza knew:Spinoza knew that all things long to persist in their being; the stone eternally wants to be a stone, and the tiger a tiger.

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About Me

One of a dying breed of Bohemian, Orientalist Zionists. Also a cunning linguist, phrase-turner, gastronomist and a Public Diplomacy Knight Errant. Of late, a PD Guru, Comm Swami, Idea Peddler and Sultan of Spin.